The 24-team FCS playoff bracket was revealed on Sunday and the Thunderbirds were left out, ending SUU’s season. The T-Birds end the year at 6-5 with a 5-3 conference mark, finishing in a tie with Cal Poly for fourth place in the Big Sky Conference.

The Big Sky will be represented in the playoffs by Eastern Washington (No. 2 national seed), North Dakota (No. 7 national seed), Cal Poly and Weber State.

There wasn't a lot of hope for the Thunderbirds to make the field coming into Sunday, but there was still a slim possibility. SUU finished the season with the minimum number of Division I wins (6) to be eligible for the playoffs. Before Sunday only one team had ever been invited to the tournament with a 6-5 record, a number that now stands at two after Illinois State received an invite to this year’s playoffs (the Redbirds’ resume included victories over Northwestern and South Dakota State, who received the No. 8 national seed).

While SUU didn't have a bad loss on its resume, it didn't have a signature win either. Four of SUU’s five losses this season came against FBS teams (Utah, BYU) or playoff participants (North Dakota, Weber State) and the fifth loss was on the road at Montana. However, SUU didn't beat a playoff-bound team this year. Something that hurt its case on Sunday.

The FCS Playoff Committee stated that Weber State and Cal Poly was one of the last four teams in. And if the T-Birds October matchup against the Wildcats would have ended differently, SUU could be replacing Weber in the field.

The T-Birds gave up a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter in the 37-36 loss to Weber. That game ended up keeping the Wildcats' playoff hopes alive and ending SUU's.

Southern Utah finished No. 20 in the Simple Rating System — the ranking used by the selection committee — ahead of a number of at-large teams Richmond (No. 21), Illinois State (No. 22), Samford (No. 24), Weber State (No. 27), North Carolina A&T (28) and New Hampshire (No. 30).

Weber State will begin its playoff run on the road at Chattanooga on Saturday, while Cal Poly will host San Diego. North Dakota and Eastern Washington will both receive byes this week.

The bracket did set up a potential quasi-Big Sky championship. Both Eastern Washington and North Dakota finished conference play unbeaten at 8-0 and if both win their second round matchup they will meet in the quarterfinals.